You might initially feel a bit guilty about the idea of leaving your children with the grandparents for a weekend away together as a couple, but getting the chance to rekindle the romance could prove to be a winning move.
Here are some thoughts about the idea of taking a vacation without the kids, including a look at the benefits of some time together as a couple, a reality check on how time away will play with your emotions, plus an appraisal of why you could benefit from a quick break as a couple.
Time to reflect
There are a number of positives attached to the idea of enjoying a bit of vacation time without the children by your side.
A big plus would be the chance to reconnect with your partner and rediscover what life used to be like before you had kids.
Although you wouldn’t change a thing about your life right now, a few romantic walks and the chance to have some long uninterrupted chats could help you to return to your kids feeling reenergized and ready for the fun of parenting again.
Your choice of hotel, such as the JW Marriott Los Angeles, for instance, will also make a difference to your vacation plans and how relaxed you will feel while away, so choose your venue with care and try to spoil yourselves if it is a room for couples and not families you need on this occasion.
Tugging at your heart-strings
You will obviously do your best to have a wonderful time while you are away from the kids for a few days, but it’s only natural that you might feel more than a touch of guilt and miss their company.
This is a real dilemma for plenty of parents, often made worse when you check in on them via Skype and miss them, even more, when you can’t give them your usual hugs and kisses.
There is also the prospect of taking a bit of time to adjust to the idea of being a couple again and if you are only away for a long weekend break, it can be a challenge to switch into couple mode so quickly from being a parent.
Closer together
Even a couple of nights away without the kids can be important for your marriage and if it manages to draw the two of you closer together that can only be good news for the strength of your relationship and your family bond.
It is also worth considering that your kids might actually benefit from being away from you for a brief period of time.
That short time away can help your child experience a bit of independence and grow in confidence, even when they are younger and still largely reliant on their parents.
You put most of your time and energy into parenting your children and if you can channel a bit of that energy into your adult relationship as a couple it is perfectly feasible that the benefits of a vacation without the kids will have more pros than cons.
